Allergy Injection Policy and Information

Appointments

Allergy injections are administered by appointment only.

• Please call 302-831-2226, Option 1 to schedule your first appointment with the Immunization Department.
• Please allow 60 minutes for your first appointment and 45 minutes for all subsequent appointments.
• This includes time for preparing, administering and post-injection observation.
• Recurring appointments are strongly encouraged to ensure compliance with injection schedules.

Receiving Allergy Injections

Patients must supply their allergy serum and dosage instructions in order to receive allergy injections at SHS.

• Your allergist must complete UD's Allergy Injection Order Form.

• We do not administer bee or wasp venom or poison ivy extract.

• All students receiving allergy injections at SHS must have an epinephrine auto-injector (EpiPen/Auvi-Q/etc.) prescribed and must bring it to every allergy injection appointment. SHS can provide a prescription if needed.

All patients must wait 30 minutes post injection.

• You will be allowed to leave after having your injection site(s) checked by a nurse.
• If you develop symptoms during your 30-minute wait, such as itching, sneezing, runny nose, coughing, wheezing, nausea, lightheadedness, fainting or anxiety, immediately make a staff member aware.
  

Health Considerations

• We recommend avoiding strenuous activity/exercise for 1 hour prior and 2 hours after your allergy injections to decrease your risk of a serious reaction.
• SHS cannot administer your allergy injections if you are currently taking beta blocker medication.
• You should not receive allergy injections if you are actively ill, including having a fever, active infection or experiencing respiratory symptoms such as chest congestion, wheezing and/or shortness of breath.
  • SHS nurses reserve the right to refuse to administer allergy injections if, in their clinical judgment, doing so poses a health risk due to acute illness.
• If you have a systemic (“whole body”) reaction to an injection administered at Student Health, you must be evaluated and have your next injection at your allergist’s office before resuming injections at Student Health.

Storage and New Serum

The Immunization Department provides dedicated space for patients to store their allergy serum.

• SHS is not liable for the condition or content of delivered serums.
• It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that serums and instructions are picked up if injections are required while they are away from campus, such as during winter, spring or summer breaks.
• SHS does not mail allergy serum to residences or medical offices.
• In case of a temperature excursion, every effort will be made to contact the student to pick up their allergy serum.

Patients, in conjunction with the RN, are ultimately responsible for knowing when their serum expires or running low.

• The immunization nurses can help by faxing a request for new serum to your allergist.
• Expired serum will not be administered.
• Serum can be mailed to Student Health Services, M-F between 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., at the following address: 282 The Green, Attn: Immunization, Newark, DE, 19716.

SHS reserves the right to refuse allergy injections to patients who do not comply with the above policy.